1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Alex Benik, Encoded Ventures (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: So the real question then is, in the vintage that you are currently investing in, that’s going to start maturing in the five- to seven-year period, AI is also maturing greatly when it comes to acquisitions. It complicates the build versus buy question quite a lot, right?

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Alex Benik, Encoded Ventures (Part 3)

Sramana Mitra: Let’s do a couple more of your examples of what you’ve invested in.

Alex Benik: Sure. At Battery, I was an investor in a company called Packet, which was a bare metal hosting provider. It was acquired by a large data center company Equinix. The founders Zac and Jacob Smith are twin brothers and have gone on to found a company called Datum.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Alex Benik, Encoded Ventures (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: That’s refreshing to hear. Tell us what you’ve invested in. Let’s go over some case studies. Describe the situation when they came to you, what attracted you, what made you write the check, and what you saw in those deals.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Alex Benik, Encoded Ventures (Part 1)

Alex Benik, Partner/Founder at Encoded Ventures, discusses the fund’s investment thesis. Great discussion on how we each view the disruptions AI is causing on multiple fronts. VCs investing today have to think about the next 5-7 year window and what changes are likely to come.

Investor Introductions For Entrepreneurs Outside Silicon Valley

Can I get introductions to relevant investors, customers, or partners—even if I’m not in Silicon Valley?

Yes, 1Mby1M does facilitate introductions to relevant investors, customers, and partners, even for entrepreneurs outside Silicon Valley. Here’s a breakdown:

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Ray Wu, Alumni Ventures AI Fund (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: Yes, but I was not asking you about AI rollups. I’m asking you about this Y Combinator model of starting a full stack company from scratch.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Ray Wu, Alumni Ventures AI Fund (Part 3)

Sramana Mitra: Interesting. There is a completely opposite trend, but it’s kind of similar. Y Combinator put out the types of companies they’re looking for a few months ago. One of the types of companies is full stack AI.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Ray Wu, Alumni Ventures AI Fund (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: If you were to highlight some themes that you’re seeing in the deal flow right now, what are some of the trends that you’re seeing?